News 14:00

BULLETIN 31 August 2 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# A Tembisa Hospital looting accused is granted bail of 200-thousand-rand
# A Hawks officer alleges Mchunu instructed him to implicate Mkhwanazi
# And rugby: Rassie changes his front row for the third Test against the All Blacks

# A 37-year-old accused linked to the alleged 635-million-rand looting of Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng, has been granted 200-thousand-rand bail in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Stefan Govindraju was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Friday after returning from abroad. He faces money laundering, fraud and corruption charges. The Special Investigating Unit alleges Govindraju and two other businessmen, Hangwani Maumela and Rudolph Mazibuko, looted more than two-billion-rand. They allegedly split purchase orders to bypass procurement thresholds.

# Former presidents Jacob Zuma and Thabo Mbeki lost their bid to have Justice Sisi Khampepe recuse herself as chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission cases inquiry. Zuma and Mbeki cited Khampepe’s past TRC and prosecutorial roles as grounds for bias. The court upheld her decision not to recuse herself, and the former presidents must now appear before the commission as witnesses. Justice Leona Theron delivered the verdict:

# KwaZulu-Natal Hawks officer Deena Govender has alleged suspended Police minister Senzo Mchunu instructed him to implicate provincial commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi over 172 shootings recorded in the province. Govender told the Madlanga commission he recognised Mchunu’s voice during a phone call. He alleges Mchunu then instructed him to claim Mkhwanazi had ordered the shootings:

# The DA in the Western Cape says the successful containment of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the province is proof of how a whole-of-society approach can rapidly halt biosecurity threats and protect the agricultural economy. The province successfully vaccinated 82-percent of its total bovine herd of almost half-a-million with primary and booster doses. Private veterinarians administered 75.8-percent doses. The DA’s Noko Masipa says this operational success was achieved despite national constraints:

# Rugby: Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus made minimal changes to his starting team for Saturday’s third Test against the All Blacks at Johannesburg’s FNB Stadium. The front row of Ox Nché, Malcolm Marx and Wilco Louw return while Gerhard Steenekamp, Deon Fourie and Thomas du Toit move to the bench. Cheslin Kolbe moves to fullback in place of injured Damian Willemse, and Kurt-Lee Arendse will start on the wing. Erasmus expects New Zealand to come out firing after South Africa squared the series in Cape Town on Saturday.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-13-cents and the euro at 18-rand-70-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-83-cents and Bitcoin trades at 78-thousand-488-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-450-dollars-12-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 93-dollars-38-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….